Shaft-support.



W. L. WATTERSON.

SHAFT SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1913.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

31W 10. L .we-rTE -5oN CQLUMBU} FLANOQRAPH (20., WASHINGTON. n C.

WILLIAM L. WATTERSON, OF BASKERVILLE, VIRGINIA.

SHAFT-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 26, 1913.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

Serial No. 757,011.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. IVATTER- SON, citizen of the United States, residing at Baskerville, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft- Supports, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vehicle shaft or tongue supports and has for its primary object to provide a simple and durable device of this character whereby the shafts may be supported in an elevated position and liability of the same being broken thus avoided.

Another and more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a rack plate adapted to be secured to the front wall of the vehicle body and to extend upwardly in front of the dash board, said plate being provided with a plurality of spaced pins, and means attached to the cross bar connecting the shafts or poles including a movable hooked rod adapted for engagement with said pins.

Still another object of the invention is to produce a device of the above character which may be easily and quickly applied to the vehicle without necessitating any material changes in the construction thereof, is highly convenient and serviceable in practical use and may be manufactured at small cost.

With the above and other objects in view as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle shaft support embodying the present invention, showing the same applied; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the rack plate.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates a vehicle body having the usual dash board 6 at its front end.

To the front end wall of the body 5 the vertically disposed plate 7 is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured. This plate at its upper end is oflt'set as indicated at 8 and has integrally formed thereon the parallel longitudinally extending bars 9 which are integrally connected at their upper ends as shown at 10. Between the ofiset 8 of the plate 7 and the ends of the parallel bars 9, said bars are connected by means of a plurality of spaced parallel pins 11, for a purpose which will be particularly referred to in the following description.

12 indicates the shafts or poles which are connected adjacent their inner ends by means of the cross bar 13. An eye-bolt 14 is centrally secured in this cross bar and in the eye 15 thereof, an eye 17 upon the end of the rod 16 is loosely engaged. This rod is provided upon its opposite end with a hook 18.

In the use of the device, when it is desired to support the poles 12 in an elevated position, the same are raised and the hooked terminal of the rod 16 is engaged under one of the pins 11 which connect the parallel bars 9 of the rack plate. By offsetting the upper end of the plate 7 the pins 11 are sufliciently spaced from the face of the dashboard 6 to permit of the easy and quick engagement of the hooked end of the rod 16 therewith.

In order to lower the shaft poles, it is simply necessary to raise the same slightly so that the hooked end of the rod 16 will fall downwardly out of engagement with the rack pins 11, thus permitting the poles to be lowered.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction and manner of use of my im proved shaft support will be clearly and fully understood.

It will be obvious that the device may also be employed for supporting a vehicle tongue.

It is further to be understood that while I have shown the device arranged at the ing a plate adapted to be secured to the body of a vehicle, said plate having parallel longitudinally extending bars formed upon one of its ends, said bars being offset at the 5 juncture of the same with the body of said plate and adapted to extend upwardly in spaced relation to the face of the Vehicle dash board, said bars at their other ends being integrally connected, and a plurality 10 of parallel pins connecting said bars, said 1 pins being adapted for engagement with a hook carried by the cross bar whereby the shafts will be supported in an elevated position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my 1 5 signature in the presence of two witnesses. i

WVILLIAM L. WATTERSON. Witnesses:

H. F. I-IU'roHnsoN, C. WM. PHILLIPS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i 

